Crossroad Chaos
by Wings Of Sanguine
Summary: Master Makarov invites an old friend over to the Guild in order to help the wizards perfect their training. Lucy finds herself smitten with Finny, a young gardener from the Phantomhive manor while on a rescue mission, and they just can't seem to shake off a certain grim reaper vying for Sebastian's love! (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER FAIRY TAIL OR ANY OF THEIR CHARACTERS)
1. Chapter 1

Lucy was sitting patiently at the table, using her fork to pick at the plate of scrambled eggs sitting in front of her. The guild wasn't as rambunctious as usual, which was extremely odd- someone was always trying to pick a fight, that someone being Natsu and Gray, maybe Erza if she was really up to it.

But neither of them seemed up to any sparring, which surprised Lucy even more.

"Is everything okay, Lucy?" she heard Mirajane from behind, and the girl ski dingo a seat next t her, flinging her lavender-white hair over her shoulder, "you usually aren't this quiet." Lucy grinned, rest in her chin in her hands. Her friends all seemed to be extremely tired, Natsu not even bothering to challenge Happy to an eating contest- heck, Gray wasn't even stripping (although she saw that as more of a blessing at the moment.)

"Master Makarov decided to cancel all assignments," Erza piped up coldly, her face blank as she shoveled eggs in her mouth, washing them down with a cool glass of milk. Lucy raised an eyebrow at them in confusion.

"Canceled assignments?" she asked, and the other three wizards nodded in dejection, looking as if they had just been traumatized severely. Mirajane shrugged, resting her hands not eht able.

"We thought you knew?" she asked, and Lucy shook her head. There had been no warning, so of course, she was as oblivious as ever.

"Why would he just cancel them though?" Lucy said. Her eggs sat untouched on her plate, getting colder with each second she wasted not eating them. _That's so weird…_ she thought, pushing the plate aside. The porcelain scratched the wood of the table loudly, fork clanking against the edge. Happy was busy flitting around Natsu's head, playing with the ends f his spiky pink hair.

"Dunno!" the cat exclaimed, "but I heard that it has something to do with a neighboring guild!"

"What does another guild want to do with us?" Lucy inquired as Happy spiraled into a sitting position on the dragon slayer's head. Natsu merely sighed, a bored expression plastered on his face. Mirajane laughed, collecting the plates- no one and bothered eating, and it was evident that no one would.

"I guess I should bring these to the kitchen then," she said, "tell me more when you get more info, okay?" Happy nodded and they watched as Mirajane waltzed across the bar to the kitchen, the doors swinging shut behind her.

"Damn it!" Natsu suddenly cried out, making Lucy jump.

"Geez! Give me a heart attack, why don't you!?" the celestial wizard exclaimed, her fingers clutching at the top of her orange tank top.

"This isn't fair!" Natsu was fuming, ignoring Lucy entirely, "just because Gramps doesn't wanna do anything doesn't mean I can't!" Lucy saw gray roll his eyes- the most he had down all day. Quite frankly, she enjoyed the silence in their company, but even after the few minutes she was with them, it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Quit cranking, Hot Head," Gray deadpanned, "no one wants to hear you complain."

"What did you call me, Strip Tease?!" Natsu shot back, smoke plowing from his nostrils, disregarding Gray's statement completely. Lucy rolled her eyes, thinking, _Here we go again… _Before the two were able to go at it though, they were stopped in their tracks, Master Makarov wiring patiently at the table besides them.

"Gramps!" Natsu cried, eyes fuming with anger, "what the hell'd you cancel all the assignments for?!" The old man shrugged, sending Lucy a sharp wink before turning to the fire mage.

"As it may seem, an alumni of the guild has decided to come for a visit on his day off," Master makarov explained. Hushed whispers soon burst throughout the building, everyone asking questions at once.

"Who is it?"

"Is it another Celestial Wizard?"

"Please tell me this one is a girl, there are too many guys around here!"

"You're outta your mind- it has to be another guy- we're real men!"

"Oh yeah? Well how about you take your real man out for a spin once in a while, huh?!"

Master Makarov tapped his foot against the floor in annoyance- he and forgotten how easy it was to excite this sort of group, it seemed. Lucy laughed, watching as the hubbub rose higher and higher until a single beat of the gong bought them all to silence, the music ringing through the air as everyone settled down. Light stream din through the windows, dancing in the grooves of the wooden support beams lined throughout the building.

"I understand the visit of a former member is exciting!" the old man announced, "but even though this is a former member, they are still a guest here at the Guild." Eyeing Natsu momentarily, he cleared his throat to continue, "so that means I want you all to be bon your best behavior."

A cheer sounded from the guild, Master Makarov crossing his arms.

"That means-" he cut their ecstasy short, "-no fighting." A moan echoed through the crowd. Fighting was really all the guild wizards did, so having this privilege taken, even momentarily, was going to b difficult. Especially for Natsu, Lucy turned her attention towards the boy, Happy currently flying in lazy circles around his head, swatting once again at his pink hair, as well as his white checkered scarf.

Makarov opened his mouth to spew further, the only sound emitted from him was the banging of the front door, and there was a collective cry from multiple wizards as the door was soon blown off its hinges, clouds of dust spiraling throughout hair, making them cough and sputter and gasp for breath. Lucy scratched at her nose, the dirt tickling her face, making her want to sneeze.

The dust died down, thankfully, but where they expected to see the figure of someone- anyone, in fact- there was no one. Just a view of the town outside, showing people strolling about Fiore. Looks were exchanged, a few glares sent Master Makarov's way.

"What the heck, man?!" came a shout from Elfman, "if this visitor were a real man, he would show up after causing any collateral damage!" Mirajane patted her brothers beefy arm, their younger sister Lisanna joining them at their side.

"Well, Elfman," Lisanna assured him, "no one is as manly as you, right?" Elfman grunted in agreement crossing his arms happily knowing that his sisters were proud of him and his manliness. The door was in splinters, although there was still no sign o whomever it was that had knocked it down.

"Master!" came canna's voice, making Lucy jump in surprise- the woman was casually sitting in a booth by the entrance, (her boobs spilling dangerously out of the blue bikini top she wore as usual), sipping a frothy beer in a large mug. She wiped her mouth, "Who exactly is your visitor?"

"Like I said, Cana," Master Makarov answered, "an alumni of the guild…. if you want to call him that." _Damn!_ Lucy thought, _so it is a guy! _

And here she was, hoping she would have a new friend to talk to about clothes and go shopping with. Lucy rolled her eyes- she couldn't have everything, she knew that. But was it really too much to ask? Cana smirked, lifting her mug to her lips once more.

"Hey, uh, Master?" Natsu chimed in, pointing to the old geezer's feet, "what's that on the floor?" The man blinked, merely glancing at the floor. Lucy let her eyes dart around, noticing as looks of shock and awe began to etch themselves onto the faces of her fellow wizards.

"Oh, this?" Makarov pointed to the circle on the ground. Natsu nodded.

It look at first to be a mere summoning circle, like the ones she had when summoning her beings front eh key on her belt, but this one was…. different, somehow. Instead of spirals, there was spikes, encircling a smaller circle in the big one, the same spikes decorating the outside of the larger circle as well. A gasp escaped her throat as a purplish-black light began to shine from the mark, casting eerie shadows along the floor and walls. Black smoke crept in from who knew where, enveloping everyone in a cloak of darkness.

"I suggest you all stand back for this one," Master Makarov waned, grinning happily as the smoke wafted through the air, obscuring him from the guild members, who coughed and sputtered until there was nothing left to see, only blackness.

Lucy coughed- before squeezing her eyes shut (they and begun to sting from the smoke), she hoped this one was at least normal, although she knew that was too much to ask for these days. Winds began to blow, stirring up Lucy's hair, playing with the hem of her clothing. As soon as it hd come, it died, dust settling softly around the guild.

"Holy shit…" Gray muttered, blue eyes wide with shock.

Standing in the center of the room was a man- _Quite an attractive man_, Lucy found herself thinking, and heat rushed to her cheeks immediately. She clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Makarov, old man," the guest said his voice silky and smooth. Master Makarov nodded in the man's direction, a proud smile on his face.

"Mr. Michealis," Makarov greeted, arms open or a hug. Mr. Michealis merely bowed, his black hair swaying in his face as he tilted his head forward. Lucy let her eyes dart around- other girls in the guild were starting to swoon, some of them looking about to jump him, possibly pick their wedding gown out right there and then.

"Talk about desperate," Lucy mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes as Master Makarov clapped his hands, announcing, "Welcome our guest, wizards!"

"Wizards, eh?" Mr. Michealis smirked, an action that sent Lucy's friend Levy to the ground, everyone else ignoring her girlish squeals of rapture.

"What?" Makarov shrugged, "it's been a while since I've seen you- it seems you have forgotten my title of Master as well."

"And it seems you forget, since I left and went back, I've acquired a new master," Mr. Michealis added, "and you also seem to be ignorant of my new name."

Lucy exchanged a look with Erza, who merely raised an eyebrow n confusion. Natsu had his hands balled into fists, looking ready for a fight. Master Makarov sent the group collective glare before turning to the man.

"And what would that be?" he inquired. Sebastian cocked his head, strands of hair getting in his heavily lashed, heavily lidded eyes that seemed to draw the crowd in, menacing yet beautiful at the same time.

"Sebastian," the visitor whispered, lifting a gloved finger to his lips, motioning for utter and absolute silence.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sebastian, eh?" Makarov nodded, "I didn't know you answered to names now." The two men were sitting at the bar, the guild trying their best- and utterly failing- to ignore the man. Lucy had to admit that it was difficult- he as built lean and tall, his skin a ghostly white against his black hair, which Lucy personally thought looked to be spun like silk, if that was even humanly possible. Sebastian smirked.

"The name given to me is what i must go by," Sebastian sighed, his back ramrod straight.

"And whom was it that gave you this name?" Makarov asked. The members of the guild were being completely ignored, everyone staring at Sebastian in wonder and awe.

"Master Makarov!" Erza suddenly piped up, "if I may say so, who is this man?!"

"It doesn't concern you madame," Sebastian sent a smile her way. Immediately three girls melted, their smiles looking like putty, hands flailing wildly with excitement. Sebastian grinned even wider, his lashes batting slightly. Lucy grimaced- this guy obviously knew the effect he and on women, that was for sure.

Looking around, Lucy noticed Natsu and Gray staring hard, running their hands through their hair. _Please don't do anything stupid!_ she sent her thoughts out to them, but she knew it was too much to ask for. Sebastian looked around- the group Makarov had bought together was indeed interesting, although many of them seemed to be off their rockers.

"it seems," Sebastian said, during off his tailored black suit, "as though I've interrupted something, hmm?"

"No worries, my friend, the guild was just cleaning up is all," Makarov shooed his comment away as if it were a fly buzzing in his ear. Again came a smirk, and Sebastian bowed his head, eyes closed. As he did this, Lucy noticed the tails of his coat bob slightly, how the cuffs of his shirt were folded perfectly over those of the coat. A silver chain hung on his waistcoat, the piece sliding into a pocket on the side.

"Well, if the butler of Phantomhive can't do even a simple cleaning task, then he isn't worth his salt."

Natsu scoffed, sending spittle in every direction as he began to laugh- a loud bellow, accompanied by rings of fire and stacks of smoke. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him, straightening himself out. Happy was flying circles around his head, blue tail swishing in unison with the flap of his wings.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" he guffawed, "you not a wizard or something?!" Sebastian cocked his head innocently, and Lucy noticed his fingers twitch slightly underneath the white material of his gloves.

"You may go with 'or something' in this case," Sebastian hinted, a gleam in his red eyes. Natsu raised an eyebrow in question, exchanging confused looks with Gray, who just shrugged. Master Makarov clapped his hands, garnering everyone's attention.

"Alright, enough chit-chat!" he announced, "I understand its exciting, but Mr. Michealis needs his rest as much s any of you-"

"Rest?!" Natsu suddenly cried, "he came out of a summoning circle!"

"Even i need rest, Natsu Dragneel," Sebastian cut in, "in my current state I can get a bit exhausted now and again." Leaving Natsu to gape, Sebastian turned to Makarov, "I must take my levee then, Makarov. My master gets impatient when left to sit in the carriage too long."

"Have him come in then!" Makarov said, clapping a hand to Sebastian's back, although being as short as he was, he ended up grabbing the man's leg, the black fabric of his trousers bunching in Makarov's fingers. Sebastian tensed, smiling politely.

"Yes, well, Lord Phantomhive can get quite irritable, so I really must go," Sebastian said, wrenching his leg from Makarov's grip, "after all, the tea will be getting cold by now." Makarov opened his mouth to say something, convince him to stay perhaps, when a strangled cry emitted from outside. There was a bang, followed by a loud crash and suddenly a young boy ran in, a straw at bouncing as it hit his back. His orange and yellow plaid pants were covered in a fine layer of dust, the sleeves of his beige shirt rolled up to his elbows.

"Sebas-tian!" the boy cried, tears beginning to roll down his face as he jumped at the butler, arms wrapping around his waist tightly. Sebastian glanced down, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"Finny, didn't I say to stay in the carriage with My Lord?" Sebastian pointed out. Finny nodded, watery eyes turned skyward.

"B-but Baldory, he-" Finny began to blubber, and Sebastian held a finger to the boy' lips, silencing him.

"I shall deal with Baldroy then," he sighed. Finny's blue eyes widened happily, his frown erased to be replaced with a grin so wide Lucy thought his head might crack in half. She couldn't help but notice the way he brightened up, blond hair swaying as he twirled happily.

"He's cute, huh?" Cana's voice said from behind, making Lucy jump.

"Cana, what the heck?!" Lucy nearly shrieked, and Finny lifted his head in their direction. Much to Lucy's dismay, Cana lifted a hand, waving her fingers in greeting.

"Sebastian, what is this place again?" Finny asked, fidgeting with two orange clips he and tangled in his hair. Sebastian flicked his fingers, ushering the boy to the door (or hole, since the door had been nocked down earlier).

"They aren't anyone important, Finnian," Sebastian said haughtily, and Natsu was suddenly leaping through the air, smoke pouring from his nostrils.

"Hey! Don't talk about Fairy Tail that way, Bean Pole!" Natsu yelled, making Finny laugh. Lucy felt herself blush- it was such an adorable laugh, sounding like the soft tinkle of bells, the soft mew of a kitten.

"Come along, Finnian," Sebastian ignored Natsu, who looked about ready to plow through him and skewers him on the barbecue. Nodding, Finny followed the butler, waving happily back at the crowd, "Bye everyone!"

"Hey! Who said you could leave without a fight, huh?!" was Natsu's shout of protest, and everyone groaned, a few turning their attention elsewhere. Sebastian sent the trio a glare, chilling them to the bone, it was so cold.

"Unlike you, we have a job to do, and it would be wise to allow us to uphold our duties to the lord Phantomhive," Sebastian said bluntly. Natsu opened his mouth to say something, but found he could not find the words. Who did they work for that caused them to be so diligent?

"Good day, Makarov," Sebastian said, his back to the old man as he walked Finnian out of the guild. They watched until the two disappeared, jumping when there was a sudden shouting, the clop of hooves, and a cloud of dust signaling that they had left.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Erza commented, crossing her arms. Lucy nodded, keeping her stare on the door, even though they had long gone, the guild slowly going back to whatever it was they were doing before Sebastian Michealis had decided to pop in.


	3. Chapter 3

"What's got you looking all giddy, huh?" Cana asked, sliding into the seat next to Lucy. Lucy cast her eyes down, her face going red. A small smile played on her lips, threatening to widen at any moment. Lucy shrugged.

"Just thinking about what happened yesterday, I guess," she answered. Cana rolled her eyes.

"Or were you thinking about a certain someone that happened yesterday?" Cana teased, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. Lucy blew a raspberry- that was insane! But nevertheless, Lucy found herself blushing, redder than a tomato, she thought.

"I knew it!" Cana cheered, "you were thinking about him- Sebastian was his name, right?" Lucy rolled her eyes, shaking her head. There was no way she would deb thinking about the butler- he was too tall, too pretty, too menacing…. he just wasn't her type. But the boy… Lucy thought, a dreamy glint in her brown eyes.

"The other one then?" Cana suggested, and Lucy sighed. Grinning, Cana snapped her fingers, and Mirajane waltzed over, a tall mug of beer in hand. Foam jiggled and danced, leaning precariously over the edge of the glass. "Thanks, Mira," Cana nodded, then urned back to Lucy, "so you like him then? The blond boy?"

"Don't say it so loud!" Lucy shrieked, then with a nervous laugh, "I mean, I guess? He was all i found myself thinking about after they left-"

"Yeah, he was a cutie," Cana agreed with a swig of her beer, "what was his name again?"

"Finnian," Lucy answered breathlessly, playing with the ends of her blond hair. Cana clicked her tongue.

"That sounds so proper though- what did Sebastian call him? Finny?" Cana asked, then nodded, "Yeah, he called him Finny. A cute name to fit a cute boy, I suppose." Condensation slid down Cana's glass, pooling slightly on the wood of the table. Lucy let her eyes trail grains f wood etched into the surface, darting in and out in swirls and loops. What perturbed her most was that the boy was on her mind the rest of the day that day. Even when she had gone home to find Natsu and Gray and Erza rummaging through her stuff and doing push-ups on her bedroom floor, all she could see for some reason was Finny. _Maybe its the hair_, she thought, eyeing Natsu quickly, _after all, he and Natsu had similar styles…. _

"You know," Cana's voice broke through her thoughts, "if you're really that bothered about it, go see him."

"Huh?" Lucy asked, resting her hands on the table. Cana shrugged.

"I mean, maybe seeing him again will help ease your nerves, possibly tell you how you really feel," she suggested, leaning over leisurely, arms crossed over her chest as she added, "Just a thought."

It was worth a try, though. And after she did it, she probably would never have to see him again, just go back to her old life at the guild. A sudden thought struck her:

She had no idea where he lived.

"What's wrong?" Cana asked softly, watching as Lucy's face went red for a second time.

"I never got his address!" Lucy whined, feeling tears dot the corners of her eyes- wait, why was she crying? There was no reason to cry over a boy she didn't even know!

"Wow- and I thought I had trouble picking up guys," Cana muttered, then said, "well, just look for the place he works- they said they worked for some Lord right?" Lucy widened her eyes- they had said that, but she didn't know how this Lord Phantomhive was. At any rate, he probably wouldn't ant his servants to coheres with outsiders anyway. Lucy shook her head.

"No, that would be a bad idea," she said. Cana groaned, rolling her eyes.

"You know, Blondie, sometimes you have to live a little, bend the rules in order to get what you want," Cana advised, "think about it. If you don't go to where he worlds, you may never get to see him again!"

"But I don't know him!" Lucy said, "what if they don't remember who I am?!"

"Judging from the look of the butler, I'm pretty sure they'll remember," Cana smirked, "and hey, if they don't just flag them your boobs!" Lucy paled, gasping loudly.

"Jesus, Cana!" she exclaimed, "what the heck?! I'm not desperate!"

The older woman got up, mug sliding across the wood as she took it, "You may think so, but I see otherwise." With that, Cana ambled over to the bar, calling for Mirajane, Lisanna or anyone to fill up another cup, leaving Lucy to contemplate what she had said.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sebastian," Ciel said, flipping through the pages of a newspaper, "What happened yesterday that you kept me waiting?" Sighing, the boy put down the paper- nothing good ever decided to show up, so there really was no use reading it. Sebastian often wondered why Ciel did, seeing as nothing would be interesting to a boy his age anyway, but he simply shrugged.

His master's wish was his command.

"I was merely visiting a friend," Sebastian answered, "I apologize for taking so long."

"Don't do that next time," Ciel said with boredom, "we almost missed tea." Nodding, Sebastian collected the papers, the ink staining his gloves. He'd have to get them cleaned later in case company came over- which always happened, it seemed.

"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian bowed his head, tucking the papers under his arm as he approached the door, "I'll have your lunch ready for you soon. Is there anything specific you would like?" The boy shrugged, fingering the string of his eyepatch. His gray-silver hair hung in such a way to cover it up, swaying in his eyes at all times.

"The Don Buri bowl we had a while back was tasteful," Ciel said, making Sebastian falter- Baldroy had made it on a whim, and to admit that for his standards it was delicious. But he never would have guessed the young master hd enjoyed it! Nodding, Sebastian slipped out the door, "Yes, my Lord."

Once the door had clicked shut, Ciel sighed, fiddling with the ring on his finger. Set inside an elaborate band of silver was a single rectangular cut blue stone- what some would have believed to be a piece of the Hope Diamond. The boy grinned slightly to himself- the ring had come from his parents.

In the fire, where they burned to death.

Voices were everywhere, coaxing and pleading.

Screaming…. so much screaming….

"Damn it!" Ciel muttered harshly, "shut up! Shut up!"

But the screaming continued, a light sheen of sweat on his skin. Ciel curled his fingers into fists, grabbing at the ends of his hair roughly, as if he were going to pull it out. Hans then appeared, fingers itching to grab him…..

"- Master!" came Sebastian's voice, a bell sounding through gongs, "Young Master!" Ciel jolted upright, hitting the back of his head against the wooden chair with a sharp crack. Wincing, he opened his eyes. Sebastian was focused on him intensely, red eyes boring into him.

"Is everything alright, Young Master?" Sebastian asked. Ciel looked down to find the man's hands on his shoulders, evidently keeping him in the chair. The boy jerked away, narrowing his eyes at the butler.

"I'm fine, Sebastian, really!" Ciel said haughtily, lifting his chin. Sebastian smiled, cocking his head. The paper was still tucked under his arm, and Ciel could see the ink on his gloves, "And wash your gloves. I won't be touched by soiled hands." Sebastian tilted his head at Ciel, black hair falling in curtains in his face, obscuring his eyes from view. A blush rose to Ciel's cheek and Sebastian smiled- he hated looking weak in front of him, Sebastian knew.

"Very good, My Lord," he said, adding, "and I've been wondering what exactly you will do for the company during this summer?" Ciel lifted his head- after all that had happened, the Funtom Company was the last thing on his mind. Of course, he and open fit right after his parents had died, so in a way, it was always on his mind.

"I assume we would expand no?" Ciel suggested, and he was suddenly presented with a piping hot pot of tea, Sebastian already carefully pouring it into a dainty porcelain cup.

"To the country then?" Sebastian said. Ciel froze, tea spilling from the cup as he lifted it to his lips.

"Why would you suggest the countryside?" he said incredulously, slamming the cup down on the desk so hard Sebastian thought it might break. Thankfully it didn't, and he went on to clean up the spillage.

"There are plenty children there, and if you expand, you'll be able to have a wider audience, no?" Sebastian smirked, collecting the silver tray and newspaper one more. Ciel gave him a pondering look- if they expanded to the countryside, there was the possibility of a percent increase in the stock market. _But we don't know if they have any children in the countryside_, Ciel thought.

"Trust me, my Lord, there are children in the countryside," Sebastian said, and Ciel was irked- it was as if the man had read his thoughts, but that was nothing new, coming from Sebastian. The butler bowed, waltzing out the door to leave his master in peace.

Unfortunately, Sebastian immediately regretted the decision to leave the safety of the drawing room, for Baldroy suddenly came rushing at him from down the hall, dust kicking up in clouds as he approached him. Sebastian sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What is it now, Baldroy?" Sebastian muttered as the chef jumped up, encircling Sebastian with a tangle of arms and legs. He felt the paper crumple as it was pressed against his side, ink smearing his waistcoat.

"Pluto is outta control again!" the American exclaimed, tears streaming own his face, "back where I come from we ain't got any demon hounds!" Sebastian froze at Pluto's name- the dog had been acquired after saving a village from a mythical demon hound, and unfortunately, it had taken a liking to Sebastian, being a fellow demon.

"I guess I must take care of it for the Young master's sake then," Sebastian sighed, pushing Baldroy off him, "see to it that a Don Buri bowl is made for the Master's lunch then." The chef's eyes lit up and Sebastian grumbled as he then gave the butler a salute.

"You can count on me!" he exclaimed then rushed off the to kitchen. Shoes clicking against the polished wooden floors, Sebastian ambled into the gardens, setting the tea tray down on the railing overlooking the garden. a plethora of trees lined the driveway, a fountain gurgling happily in the center of the drive itself. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he could see Finnian and Mey-Rin running about int eh grass, followed by Pluto, who pretty much blocked out whatever sun there was, casting an eerie shadow in the yard. He sighed- the servants were so incompetent, he wondered why Ciel kept them around. For amusement, I suppose, Sebastian assured himself as he leapt down the steps two at a time, wiping his ink stained gloves on his ink stained waistcoat. He was definitely going to have to get a new one later.

"Finnian! Mey-Rin!" Sebastian called, and the maid and gardener froze in their spot, squealing as they were plowed down by the ten foot tall gray beast wagging its tail happily, drool and smoke pouring from its maw. Sebastian groaned.

This was why he hated dogs.

"What on earth is happening here?" Sebastian inquired, crossing his arms lightly, leering over the other two servants. Mey-Rin went red, Finnian beginning to cry violently, sobs wracking his shoulders.

"I-I just wanted to play with Plu!" Finnian cried, "but Mey-Rin got in the way-"

"N-no!" the maid stammered in protest, her glasses fogging up as she stared at Sebastian, the way the sun created a halo around his head as he looked down on her. Blood began to drip from he rose as she cast her gaze down at her lap, fingers playing with the hem of her apron. Pluto merely barked, flames threatening to eject from his throat.

"Please step aside," Sebastian said reluctantly, peeling off his gloves. Finnian blinked, staring at his hands. They were so slender and soft looking, as if he and never worked a day in his life. But what intrigued him most was what was on his hand- a symbol of some sort, in purple ink of a set of circles surrounded by a series of spikes. Looking up, Finny met Sebastian's menacing red eyes, shivering when Sebastian held a finger to his lips. Finny nodded, grabbing Mey-Rin's hand.

"Come on, Mey-Rin!" Finny laughed, "let's leave Plu to Sebastian for now!" Mey-Rin fixed her glasses, confused.

"But Finny, i thought-" she began, yelping as Finny then dragged her across the lawn. Sebastian grinned- that boy sometimes didn't even know his own strength. It was cute, in a way, see in such a lolita-type character to be so confused as to why he was always damaging such expensive or supposedly unbreakable things with ease.

Sebastian widened his eyes- there was a sudden wetness on his cheek, large droplets falling on his clothes and the ground, Lifting a hand to his face, he pulled his fingers away to find them covered in a combination of drool and snot, smoke rising from his fingertips.

"Disgusting," Sebastian muttered, flinging whatever bodily liquids he could to the ground. Pluto wagged his tail, proud that Sebastian was giving him attention, as well as the fact that the demon was merely standing there.

Sighing, Sebastian reached out, reluctantly running his fingers through Pluto's fur. Once his skin made contact though, there was a puff os smoke and the butler suddenly found himself patting a grown man on the head. Sebastian rolled his eyes- Pluto was always indecent, especially when it came to himself. First was the fact that he was simply able to turn into a dog. Second was that Pluto refused to wear clothes, so the other servants often had to get Sebastian to dress him before company came (something that Pluto enjoyed greatly.)

The last was that he breathed fire. Often, Sebastian found himself hurriedly replacing half melted statues in the Phantomhive manor, s well as panting new trees in the garden every now and again. Pluto barked, bringing Sebastian back to reality. He was sitting campy in the grass, cross-legged and buck-naked as walkways.

"Alright, you nuisance," Sebastian felt his eye twitch slightly, "time to do something with you, or you'll surely be the death if me…" He trailed off, letting himself chuckle quietly before grabbing Pluto's collar, dragging him to the stair and inside, slamming the door behind him. In the garden, smoke rose from one of the trees, leaves half melted and floating to the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

Natsu nearly jumped on Lucy, making her shriek in surprise. Happy was flying above, dangerously close to getting his wings caught int eh chandelier.

"Lucy look!" Natsu cried, "we got a job!" He proceeded to wave a piece of paper in her face, and she couldn't help but notice that smoke was crawling from it, Natsu's hand about to burst into flames. Smiling, Lucy snatched it from him, waving it until she was sure the flames died down.

"If you keep doing that you'll burn it to pieces!" she scolded, "calm down!" Natsu grinned, collapsing ingot eh chair next to her. She was sitting at the bar, Mirajane busy cleaning glasses and stacking plates. Carefully, Lucy flattened the paper against the table, doing her best to get all the crinkles and folds out of it. One corner had been singed, the edges blackened severely.

None of it mattered once she saw what was written on the page.

"A job!" she exclaimed, "a real job!?"

"What's more, you can pay your rent too!" Natsu added, pointing to numbers printed at the bottom. She followed his finger, nearly fainting when she saw the price listed.

That amount was going to possibly be able to cover her rent for the next year or so, it was so high. Lucy clutched the sheet to her chest, tears dotting the corners of her eyes. Natsu and happy exchanged glances.

"Where is it?" Mirajane cut in, placing a freshly cleaned glass on the counter. Lucy froze, her eyes darting to scan the page quickly. There was nothing particularly interesting rotten on it, but maybe the area was mentioned…

"Phantomhive Manor?" she asked Natsu, "where's that?" He peered at it over her shoulder, his eyes following the fancy loops of the Phantomhive signature. After a few moment sod silence, he shrugged, wiping his nose with the back of his hand, "I dunno- ask Gramps, i guess." Lucy's mouth fell agape.

"You took a job without knowing the location?!" she screeched, hair standing on end. Natsu rolled his eyes, Happy perching himself in his pink hair.

"Don't worry- we'll get directions!" Natsu said confidently, flashing a thumbs up and a smile- which somehow only made Lucy feel worse.

"What I want to know is who this Phantomhive is," came Gray from behind, an lucy saw him snatch the paper from her hand, reading the cursive extremely carefully, " I mean, this looks pretty professional, no?" The duo peered at it again- it was in fact, exceedingly fancy, takin gip the majority of the left handed corner of the sheet.

"Maybe a king?" Mirajane suggested. Gray shook his head.

"It doesn't sound like the name of a king, and besides, there aren't any kingdoms around Magnolia," he explained. Mirajane bit her lip, stashing her cleaning rag beneath the bar. Lucy stared at the signature- it definitely did look like that of a king- but there was a chance that this Phantomhive person was a woman.

"Maybe a noble of some sort?" she suggested.

"Phantomhive Manor," came Master Makarov, "i remember it well." The group jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Master, you've been there?" Mirajane asked, clasping her hands on the table. The old man nodded, slipping a wooden pipe between his lips.

"A long time ago," he said, "to attend a ball." Natsu widened his eyes, cheeks puffing as he tried stifling his laughter. As each second passed, his face grew a deeper shad elf red. Makarov sighed, "Laugh if you must, Natsu." There was a whoosh of air as he let go, breaking down into childish fits.

"But I heard balls were not held anymore," Lucy said, "that was back in the nineteenth century." Makarov nodded.

"This is true, but the Phantomhive family always hung onto the looks and beliefs of that century, their home being as splendid as their curse." Lucy paled- that hadn't been in the job description! Makarov raised an eyebrow in her direction, "Having second thoughts, Miss Heartfilia?" Lucy felt heat rise to her cheeks as she shook her head.

"N-no! Of course not!" she laughed nervously, "what would amok you think that?!"

"Someone's got a little crush!" Cana sang just loud enough, "on the gardener boy!" Lucy paled, brown eyes wide with shock- she had trusted Cana with such information!

"Shut up!" she shouted, pointing wildly at the alcoholic as she sat there calmly drinking, "I told you that with confidence!" Cana merely shrugged, leaving Lucy to face her shocked teammates.

"But you only saw him for like, five seconds!" Happy chimed in. Natsu crossed his arms, Gray looking absolutely bored. Juvia, on the other hand, was ecstatic- she no longer had to fight for Gray's love!

"Well, h-he was cute, and I-" Lucy began to stutter, sweat beading her forehead.

"Whatever, Natsu said gruffly, "what's the mission?" He narrowed her eyes at her- was he jealous?! _Nah_, Lucy thought, _he really isn't the jealous type._

Makarov let his beady eyes scan the paper, widening with surprise. A gasp escaped his lips and he took off his cap, hold it over his heart. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "What a tragedy…"

"What doe sit say?" Erza demanded, furrowing her brows.

"Apparently, Lord Phantomhive has been kidnapped," Makarov explained shakily, handing them the paper, "and the reward goes to you if yu help bring him home safely." Lucy exchanged glances with her teammates- curses and evil wizards they could do, but a kidnapping? That was way out of their league! Makarov snapped his fingers to get their attention, "One more thing."

"What?" Lucy asked. The paper was crumpled in her fingers, the ink staining her skin.

"A hint from this employer," Makarov said, "a good dog always knows how to beg properly." Bowing, Makarov waved them farewell, leaving the group to loner what exactly it meant.


	6. Chapter 6

It had all happened so fast. One minute, Ciel was there, the next minute, he wasn't. Of course, the room was torn to shreds and roped apart, the curtains dotted with what looked to be bullet holes dancing not eh open window. Chairs and papers were upturned and the butler noticed Ciel's black cloth eyepatch lying on the ground- the only way he would have seen it was if he had kicked up a few papers, kicking up clouds of dust. He coughed, holding a gloved hand to his face.

The room really needed cleaning up. It was a wonder Ciel managed to get anything done in there at all. Clutching the tea tray, he stead at the pot, sitting daintily next to a freshly baked apple pie. The smell of cinnamon wafted up to his nostrils and he couldn't help but rebuke with disgust the treat.

"How humans eat this, I have no idea," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he carried it out of the room, adding, "And what's worse, this tea will have gone to a complete waste."

As he walked down the hall, he could hear the usual boisterous calamities being emitted from the kitchens, followed by a loud boom, as well as Mey-Rin and Baldroy screaming their heads off. Sebastian sighed- he was sure to get a migraine soon from listening to those two bicker day in and day out. Whats worse was that they couldn't even do their jobs right. Footsteps echoed in the hall and Mey-Rin was suddenly racing towards him.

"Mey-Rin what-" Sebastian began to call to her, and she suddenly went flying, the apple pie soaring defiantly through the air as Mey-Rin crashed into him, sending both servants tumbling to the round in a mess of arms, legs and fancy clothes. As soon as they hit the floor a gush of air flew overheard.

A vase sitting quietly on the decoration table in the hallway shattered.

"Holy crap!" Baldroy yelled as he rushed out of the kitchen, "what the hell happened out here?!" Mey-Rin sat up, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she tried to explain, while Sebastian lay on the floor, hand holding the tea tray lifted high in the air. Baldroy gave him a peculiar look, "Mr. Sebastian what are you-"

_PLOP!_ The pie landed with ease, fully intact on the platter. The smell of baked apples fading as it got colder with each second that passed.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Mey-Rin whined, pushing herself into a sitting position. Sebastian winced as her knees poked his chest, cutting off his air supply momentarily. He still held onto the pie, his hands shaking slightly under the tray.

"Mey-Rin, if you please…." Sebastian managed to wheeze out, and Mey-Rin squeaked, pushing hersef off him.

"Oh, I'm squishing you, I apologize!" she said in a rush, her words blurring together. There was a plunk as Sebastian let his head fall against the wooden floor, hair a messy halo around his head. Once Mey-Rin wa ff him, he got up, still balancing the pie expertly in the palm of his hand.

"What seems to be th problem, hmm?" he said with a smile, though his tone suggested otherwise. Mey-Rin shrank away from him, thrusting a yellowed envelope in his face.

"And who might this be addressed to?" Sebastian plucked the letter from her fingers, cocking his head like a puppy. Baldroy couldn't help but grin- it was a Finny move, to sign innocence. He froze once Sebastian shot him a glare, sending chills don his spine.

For a pretty man, he sure was scary.

"The butler of Phantomhive Manor, Mr. Sebastian," Mey-Rin explained, eyes cast down. The demon followed her gaze, his eyes falling upon her shoes. The brown uniform boots she was wearing were faded and scuffed (most likely from running and falling down so much.) The laces of her left shoe were undone, the thick yarn frayed within an inch of its life. Sebastian handed the pie to Baldroy, who looked at it with confusion.

"Mey-Rin, i advise you take care to properly tie your shoes once in a while," Sebastian commented as he slid his thumb under the lid of the envelope. The paper was rough against his skin through the fabric of his gloves, easily tearable and thin to boot.

"What's it say?" Baldroy asked as Sebastian scanned the letter. The butler simply sighed, checking his pocket-watch. The hands pointed to five thirty.

"Where is Finny?" he asked. The two servants shrugged- they were always losing Finny, it was a surprise the boy was still around.

"Probably playing with Pluto in the yard again," Baldroy guessed. As if t confirm this hunch, Finny's voice warbled in throughout eh broken window: "Come on, Plu! Go fetch!"

"It would seem so," Sebastian nodded, "well, I must collect Young Master from wherever it is he has gone." Shrugging on his coat, he began to stride down the hall towards the entrance before calling over his shoulder, "please, you two, clean that up for me."

It happened in the blink of an eye. Without explanation Sebastian was suddenly gone, Finny and Pluto's voices echoing in the gardens.


	7. Chapter 7

The carriage was going incredibly slow, and yet Natsu still had a nauseated look plastered on his far, his skin turning green, cheeks puffing up. Lucy groaned- if he threw up in the carriage she really didn't want to have t clean it up.

"Are we there yet?" Gray asked, leaning his arm over the side of the open topped car. The wooden wheels were rickety s they ran over rocks and pebbles, kicking up a trail of dust clouds behind them. Erza shrugged, closing a map she had been reading. Sighing, she crumpled it up, letting it fall to the floor of the carriage.

"We are hopelessly lost," she muttered, resting her chin in her hands as she leaned over to rest her elbows on her knees. Gray groaned- they always managed to get lost no matter where they were. Heck, he was pretty sure they would get lost in Magnolia if they didn't already have knowledge of the grid in the magic city.

"If you bothered to stop for directions we wouldn't be!" Happy said, flying just out of tech as Erza grabbed at his tail.

This was going horribly wrong. The flyer said to meet at the Phantomhive manor. Once there, have the servants fill them in on what had happened if they could (and Lucy highly doubted it for some odd reason. Not that they would deb incompetent servants, just that, well, they were servants, what more could they do?)

"How about we try going that way?" Gray pointed up the road, motioning for the carriage to make a left at the bend. Natsu shook his head.

"We made a left let time, go right!" Natsu countered, trying his best to stifle his breakfast from making a visit. Lucy sighed, let tin ghee gaze focus on the trees as they passed, blurring into one another as the carriage went faster.

"I don't think moving any faster is going to help," Lucy said, eyeing Natsu, "besides, we don't want him to hurl!"

"Well, if we go faster, we might get there faster-"

"OUTTA THE WAY!"

The driver tugged harshly on the reigns, and Lucy found herself jolted forward, Natsu and Gray following suit. Erza peered behind at them, waving dust out of her face as she coughed, "Is everyone alright?"

Lucy peered out onto the road- the carriage that had yelled at them had crashed a few feet away.

_And by a cliff, no less_, she thought with a grimace. The wheels on the cart were still spinning, although it rely was a high-end car, not a simple wooden carriage, with a sleek purple hood. The wheels had white rims over the black tire with gold appliqués in the centers. Erza jumped out of the driver's seat and raced towards the wreckage, her red hair flying behind dyer like a cape.

"Are you alright?" she asked, suddenly stopping short.

"Erza, what are you doing?!" Lucy called out to her, "go help them!"

That's when they heard it.

The same voice that had come to Fairy Tail two days before.

"Now, tell me where you've hidden my master or I'll have to let you go," the voice said, smooth as silk and not at all threatening. Lucy gulped, carefully making her way over to where Erza stood, waving away dust as she coughed.

"Erza, are you okay?" Lucy asked in a hushed whisper, trying to pull Erza back to the cart. But she wouldn't budge, her brown eyes wide with what Lucy could only discern to be shock and awe.

And Lucy saw why once the dust had cleared.

The car was hanging precariously at the edge, and backwards, no less. The driver and passenger were buckled in tightly, the passenger trying his best to cower into the seat while the driver was yanked forward, the seatbelt looking as if it were cutting into his neck. Wrapped around the lapels of his cow were a pair of white gloved hands.

And the owner of said hands was crouched on the hood, leaving a human sized dent in the fender as he leaned forward. Blood was everywhere, staining clothes, car parts and the ground.

"Listen chum!" the driver said with an obvious Italian accent, "we ain't gonna tell you nothing!"

"Lucy! Erza!" Natsu called, and soon they were standing next to the two girls, "what;s going on- oh…." All four were speechless, watching the scene play out in front of them.

"It isn't wise to keep anything from me," the butler crooned, black hair swaying in his face, "now tell me where you've taken my master."

_BOOM!_

The passenger was holding a gun, and Lucy couldn't help but scream as they watched Sebastian collapse, blood spurting from his forehead like water in a fountain.


End file.
